MCLAREN have won the right to sign Oscar Piastri as Lando Norris’ teammate for next season.
The highly-rated Aussie, who had come through the ranks at rivals Alpine, was the subject of a tug-of-war – with both teams claiming to have contracts signed by the 21-year-old.
The matter was resolved by the FIA’s Contract Recognition Board, who ruled in favour of Piastri’s deal with McLaren.
A statement said: “The tribunal has issued a unanimous decision that the only contract to be recognised by the board is the contract between McLaren and Mr Piastri dated 4 July 2022.
“Mr Piastri is entitled to drive for McLaren Racing Limited for the 2023 and 2024 seasons.”
The timing of Piastri’s deal with McLaren is telling. He signed the deal just a day after the British GP at Silverstone where Daniel Ricciardo had finished second-to-last.
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Ricciardo also Tweeted his intentions to remain at McLaren on July 13th, saying he was “committed” to staying with the team until the end of 2023.
He was eventually paid off by McLaren, earning around half of the £20million he was expected to receive from the team next year.
Piastri, who won the Formula Three and Formula Two titles in back to back years in 2020 and 2021, said he was pleased the matter was now over.
He said: “I’m extremely excited to be making my F1 debut with such a prestigious team as McLaren and I’m very grateful for the opportunity that’s been offered to me.
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“The team has a long tradition of giving young talent a chance, and I’m looking forward to working hard alongside Lando to push the team towards the front of the grid.
“I’m focused on preparing for my F1 debut in 2023 and starting my F1 career in papaya.”
Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing, added: “Oscar is one of the up-and-coming talents coming through the feeder series into F1 and we are delighted to see him join the team for 2023.
“Winning both F3 and F2 in successive rookie seasons is a real achievement and testament to his talent in single-seater racing.
“In Lando and Oscar we have a young, exciting F1 line-up with a huge amount of potential, standing us in good stead to achieve our future ambitions.
“Oscar is an exciting addition to the McLaren family, and we look forward to seeing him grow with our F1 team.”
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It means that Alpine are now searching for a replacement for Fernando Alonso, who is joining Aston Martin.
They could turn their attention to Ricciardo, who has no deal, while Pierre Gasly at AlphaTauri and Mick Schumacher are also options.
Source: Motorsport - thesun.co.uk
